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Air Serbia mulls second long haul route

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Air Serbia is considering introducing its second long haul service after New York. The carrier's Head of Corporate Communications, Nikola Vukomanović, told Serbia's public broadcaster, "We are seriously considering expanding our destination network with another long haul service. Of course, a final decision concerning this matter will be made in the coming period. In any case, numerous benefits and possibilities are on their way for our passengers. We are in step with the competition". It marks the first time the airline has publicly confirmed it is considering its second long haul route, more than a year after it launched five weekly flights between Belgrade and New York with its sole wide-body Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

Air Serbia stopped short of revealing which destination is being considered. In 2016, the now former President and CEO of the Etihad Aviation Group, James Hogan, said the Serbian carrier could expand its footprint in North America in two to three years. "We have already considered flights to Chicago and Toronto and these services could be introduced in two to three years. First off, the New York route must become functional. We don't want to make a decision that would set Air Serbia back", Mr Hogan noted at the time. More recently, Serbia's Prime Minister, Ana Brnabić, said her government is currently negotiating the launch of nonstop flights between Belgrade and the Indian capital of New Delhi, although, she did not indicate which carrier could operate the route.

Air Serbia has previously considered introducing long haul winter charters to Thailand and the Caribbean. However, the airline has said that the economics required to make it breakeven on these routes were too large, adding that Serbia is a price sensitive market. In an interview to the German "Aero International" magazine last October, Air Serbia's CEO noted, "The Far East is also a potential market for us if you consider relations between Serbia and the People's Republic of China. We believe that Serbia has enormous potential and when we grow we aim to do it responsibly". The President of the Air Serbia Supervisory Board, Siniša Mali, previously noted there was room for another destination to be introduced from Belgrade to China, such as Shaghai, following the recent launch of Hainan Airlines' flights from Beijing to the Serbian capital.

No craziness here. If the state contributes 40 mil USD in order to cover losses last year and if the state is willing to give let's say 60 mil USD next year in order to cover the losses (just an example), there is no risk for the company at all. And state will cover since state us the one who enforced NYC and probably will also "order" them AS to fly second long haul. So O don't see any problems here. I mean no problems for Air Serbia.

"The agreement will pave way for negotiations to start between Air Serbia and Air Canada. Their representatives have to determine how many flights there should be and what would be the most profitable solution. However, there is no doubt that the introduction of nonstop flights to Canada would be extremely important for our citizens and country". The Foreign Minister added that he is pushing for Canada to lift visa requirements for Serbian nationals.

"We have been negotiating a new Air Service Agreement with Serbia for some time and we are very close to signing it. Of course, it will be up to Air Serbia, Air Canada and some other carriers who may or may not be interested in operating this route. With the signing of the agreement, which will hopefully occur very soon, there is potential for this service and the interest is already there". He noted, "We would really like for flights to commence and I am certain Canadian Serbs would want it too as they have fond memories of JAT's nonstop service", the Canadian Ambassador to Serbia, Philip Pinnington, said

This was the original plan when JFK began, however it has been opposite. Regional frequencies have gone down.

I honestly think that JU doesnt have a fleet that suits them the best. Problem I see is that the current ATR fleet loves its attention from the maintenance team, the fleet is aging while there isnt enough of them. The A319 was too large of an aircraft for these routes prior to the reconfiguration, let alone now. JU needs to fill in the gap between the ATR and the A319 if its going to expand in the region.

The money spent on an additional A330 for long haul expansion would be well spent on 2 regional jets or a couple ATR's. Regional jets would therefore replace the ATR's on PRG, VCE, SKG where they could be redeployed in increasing its shorter routes ie SJJ, TIA, SKP.

It begins - "this is because of election, it will never happen". When they announce the route it will be "they will never get a license". When they get the license it will be "They will never put tickets on sale". When tickets go on sale and the flights start it will be "They will fail in a year" etc. We know the drill by now.

Well, of course it's because of elections. Why else would they maintain a loss making route and a loss making airline. And please remember that Serbia is in a permanent election campaign. There's elections almost every year.

With out huge invesment of Serbia govrnament in national airline Air Serbia, any serios expantion of destination not posiblle. Only A332 needless to say is smbolic. Prvatisation of Air Serbia with large plyer maybe ansver and solution to future development of Serbian national carrrier. Time will tell.Rodney,Kraljevo.

Exactly my thoughts! Could be a "scheduled" low frequency destination 1-2pw where an external company collaborates and for examples takes over a guarantee for a whole bunch of seats, tour operator from India or maybe China.

The issue here is the regional network and to what will all these flights connect to. Besides TGD, LJU and ZAG there is nothing to connect to. It might be ok in summer when there is more movement but what will happen in winter when there is considerably less point to point passengers?

Wouldn't that be problematic because of security? All passengers would have to get out of the plane, be screened again. And what happens if someone has a Canadian visa but not a US visa? Do you need a visa to transit through the US?

It will be a shame if JU drops JFK frequencies in the summer to make room for a second destination. Building up a route for 2 years only to drop the frequencies.

Perhaps for October 2018 to drop JFK to 3 p/w earlier and make room for a second destination would be better? A second aircraft to arrive in May 2019 could bring up JFK back up to its 5/pw while a third destination could be launched in winter 2019/2020? 2 aircraft on 3 destinations would ease the seasonality of the fleet (1 A330 is doing 5/pw, the 2nd could do 3 + 2 p/w in the summer, while in the winter keep JFK 4p/w and the other 2 destinations at the same 3 + 2 frequencies).

JAT, back a decade ago, intended to launch JFK and YYZ with 1 B762, with ORD to launch once the second B762 arrived.

I think a lot of the development next year will depend on whether they start getting those A320neos. As far as I remember, Kondic said a year ago that the neos would start arriving in the second half of 2018 so we will see.

I think if they reduce New York by a flight or two and introduce a second North American route, it would be a good decision.

I have a feeling that the 2 A320neo's to arrive will replace the 2 A320's, which will then replace the B733 on the charter routes which are scheduled for an expensive overhaul, engines if im not mistaken.

If word is true that the B733's are due for expensive overhaul (I think it was engines, and amounting a couple of million Euros), no point in investing more cash into an aircraft that will have to eventually be retired from the fleet.

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